Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi needs no introduction. A past minister of Health and Human Resources in the short-lived government of Chief Ernest Shonekan in 1993, he is chairman, MTN Foundation; Juli Plc, first indigenous company on Nigerian Stock Exchange and incumbent president of the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy (NAPharm).

Christened ‘Juli’ by friends and associate, the revered polyglot is the first and only pharmacist in Nigeria to become minister of health.

Born into a royal family in Ado Ekiti, he is one of the vibrant pioneer set of pharmacy students at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU) where he bagged a number of scholarships.

As a young undergraduate, young Juli was known to be more of an activist than just a scholar. He has championed several humanitarian causes on campus and on the international scenes, which explains how the above photograph of his came about.

It was a youthful picture of the blue-eyed pharmacist relieved in giant painting (courtesy of Adeshina Opanubi whose love for the noble personality knows no bound).

Further investigation revealed that the painting of a handsome Juli was taken in 1965 during one of his student union activities in Athens, Greece.

Pharm. Adeshina Opanubi presenting the larger-than-life size painting of Young Juli to the admiration of the latter while Pharm. Ike Onyechi, managing director of Alpha Pharmacy looks on

That speaks volume about him, isn’t it?

The larger-than-life portrait itself was presented to the former health minister himself shortly after he bagged Pharmalliance retail pharmacy legend award in recognition of his selfless service to growth of pharmacy practice.

While presenting him with the delicate painting, Pharm. Adeshina Opanubi, convener of the programme declared the 78-year-old patriarch as a beacon of hope for young pharmacists going by his antecedents in the last 36 years.

Described as a man with intimidating credentials, Adelusi-Adeluyi has been to over 142 nations (still counting) and speaks Yoruba (his Ekiti dialect), Igbo (sparingly), English, Portuguese, French, Dutch and Spanish fluently.

Still unfulfilled, the pharmacist went back to school to study law and subsequently emerged the overall best graduating student at the law school. He became a Senior Partner at Adelusi-Adeluyi & Co. where he offers free legal services to the underprivileged and prisoners.

Honoured with Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR), the MTN Foundation chairman is also an alumnus (mni) of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) and was a former president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN).

Adebayo Folorunsho-Francis is a communicator, Journalist, blogger, business coach and, of course, a prolific writer. He has Dip (Journalism) and B.A. (History & International Relations) from the Lagos State University (LASU).
The self-effacing young man has worked for national, regional and local newspapers. He had worked with THISDAY covered community news for ISLAND NEWS and corresponded with P.M. NEWS (evening tabloid).
Presently, he is the editor of CITYPULSE MEDIA and senior correspondent of PHARMANEWS, West Africa foremost health and pharmaceutical journal.